1 . Though the spread of good reproduction (复制品) of works of art can be culturally valuable, museums continue to promote the special status of original work and highlight the authenticity (真实) of its exhibits. Unfortunately, this seems to place severe limitations on the kind of experience offered to visitors.
One limitation is related to the way the museum presents its exhibits. Art museums are often called “treasure houses”. We are reminded of this even before we view a collection by the presence of security guards who keep us away from the exhibits. In addition, a major collection like that of London’s National Gallery is housed in numerous rooms, where a single piece of work is likely to be worth more than all the average visitor possesses. In a society that judges the personal status of the individual so much by their material worth, it is therefore difficult not to be impressed by one’s own relative “worthlessness” in such an environment.
Furthermore, consideration of the “value” of the original work in its treasure house setting impresses upon the viewer that since these works were originally produced, they have been assigned a huge value in terms of money by some person or institution more powerful than themselves. Evidently, nothing the viewer thinks about the work is going to alter that value, and so today’s viewer is discouraged from trying to extend that spontaneous, immediate, self-reliant kind of interpretation which would originally have met the work.
The visitor may then be struck by the strangeness of seeing such a variety of paintings, drawings and sculptures brought together in an environment for which they were not originally created. This “displacement effect” is further heightened by the huge volume of exhibits. In the case of a major collection, there are probably more works on display than we could realistically view in weeks or even months.
This is particularly distressing because time seems to be a vital factor in the appreciation of all art forms. A fundamental difference between paintings and other art forms is that there is no prescribed time over which a painting is viewed. Operas, novels and poems are read in a prescribed time sequence, whereas a picture has no clear place at which to start viewing, or at which to finish. Thus art works themselves encourage us to view them superficially, without appreciating the richness of detail and labor that is involved.
Consequently, the dominant critical approach becomes that of the art historian, a specialized academic approach devoted to “discovering the meaning” of art within the cultural context of its time. This is in harmony with the museum’s function, since the approach is dedicated to seeking out and conserving “authentic”, “original” readings of the exhibits.
1. The writer mentions London’s National Gallery to illustrate ______.| A．the undesirable cost to a nation of maintaining a huge collection of art |
| B．the conflict that may arise in society between financial and artistic values |
| C．the negative effect a museum can have on visitors’ opinion of themselves |
| D．the need to put individual well-being above large-scale artistic schemes |
| A．lack the knowledge needed |
| B．fear it may have financial implications |
| C．have no real concept of the work’s value |
| D．feel their personal reaction is of no significance |
| A．involve direct contact with an audience |
| B．require a specific location for performance |
| C．need the involvement of other professionals |
| D．call for a specific beginning or ending |
| A．Original work: killer of artistic appreciation |
| B．Original work: reduction to value of art works |
| C．Original work: substitute for reproduction |
| D．Original work: art historians’ bread and butter |
2 . The expression, "everybody's doing it," is very much at the center of the concept of peer pressure. It is a social influence applied on an individual in order to get that person to act or believe in a(n)
People are social creatures by nature, and so it is hardly
For certain individuals, seeking social acceptance is so important that it becomes a(n)
However, peer pressure is not always negative. A student whose friends are good at
Although peer pressure is sometimes quite obvious, it can also be so
| A．traditional | B．similar | C．peculiar | D．opposite |
| A．understandable | B．believable | C．acceptable | D．surprising |
| A．disapproval | B．failure | C．absence | D．independence |
| A．uncertain | B．practical | C．impossible | D．vague |
| A．promotes | B．prevents | C．simplifies | D．increases |
| A．challenge | B．inspiration | C．promise | D．addiction |
| A．recognize | B．abandon | C．decrease | D．define |
| A．avoid | B．encourage | C．decline | D．punish |
| A．pressured | B．respected | C．delighted | D．regretted |
| A．catch sight of | B．stay away from | C．make fun of | D．keep up with |
| A．competitions | B．interaction | C．academics | D．adaptation |
| A．knowledge | B．interest | C．assistance | D．influence |
| A．abstract | B．ridiculous | C．subtle | D．reasonable |
| A．consciousness | B．motivation | C．instinct | D．encouragement |
| A．motivation | B．danger | C．support | D．achievement |
3 . The networked computer is an amazing device. It is the first media machine that serves as the mode of production (you can make stuff), means of distribution (you can upload stuff to the network), site of
But for all the reasons there are to
All animals download, but only a few upload anything besides faces and their own bodies. Humans are
Despite the possibilities of our new culture machines, most people are still
The networked computer offers the first chance in 50 years to
Of course people will still download. Nobody uploads more than a tiny percentage of the culture they consume. But using the networked computer as a download-only device, or even a download-mainly device, is a
| A．celebration | B．conversations | C．reception | D．ceremonies |
| A．Without doubt | B．In return | C．In particular | D．By contrast |
| A．liberate | B．celebrate | C．concern | D．reject |
| A．request | B．support | C．defense | D．creation |
| A．unique | B．familiar | C．efficient | D．loyal |
| A．In addition | B．In fact | C．For instance | D．By the way |
| A．striving | B．comparing | C．failing | D．attempting |
| A．optimistic about | B．unfamiliar with | C．stuck in | D．ashamed of |
| A．transformation | B．emergence | C．encounter | D．maintenance |
| A．consume | B．neglect | C．combine | D．innovate |
| A．enhance | B．quicken | C．reverse | D．extend |
| A．outcome | B．exposure | C．break | D．evolution |
| A．puzzle | B．cure | C．regret | D．favor |
| A．analyzing | B．maintaining | C．featuring | D．increasing |
| A．wasted | B．treasured | C．multiplied | D．revised |
4 . Concerns about the harm caused by “too much” screen time—particularly when it is spent on social media—are widespread. But working out what a “healthy”
Some negative experiences on social media—like
Consider the picture painted by a UNICEF review of existing research into the effects of digital technology on children’s
The UNICEF report highlighted a 2017 study that examined 120,000 UK 15-year-olds. Among those teenagers who were the lightest users, it was found that increasing the time spent using technology was linked to
A broader look at evidence provided by some other high quality studies again suggests the story is not
So how much time should our children spend looking at screens? It is difficult to be
| A．amount | B．comparison | C．experience | D．medium |
| A．accounting for | B．boasting of | C．commenting on | D．worrying about |
| A．general | B．particular | C．private | D．public |
| A．domestic | B．material | C．physical | D．psychological |
| A．complex | B．dramatic | C．harmless | D．predictable |
| A．improved | B．maximum | C．relative | D．small |
| A．As a rule | B．In contrast | C．On the whole | D．Worse still |
| A．convincing | B．definite | C．probable | D．true |
| A．estimating | B．experiencing | C．reducing | D．tracing |
| A．connection | B．power | C．promotion | D．risk |
| A．balanced | B．independent | C．precise | D．subjective |
| A．agree | B．forget | C．object | D．remember |
| A．equally | B．readily | C．reluctantly | D．weakly |
| A．emotion therapy | B．social media | C．TV broadcasting | D．video game |
| A．confident | B．optimistic | C．rough | D．wild |
5 . It has been one of the deadliest climbing seasons on Everest, with at least 10 deaths. And at least some seem to have been
The problem hasn’t been avalanches(雪崩）, blizzards or high winds. Experienced climbers and industry leaders
Fly-by-night adventure companies are taking up untrained climbers who pose a risk to everyone on the mountain. And the Nepalese government,
Add to that Everest’s unmatched
To reach the peak, climbers
According to the climbers, some of the deaths this year were caused by people getting held up in the long lines on the last 1,000 feet or so of the climb, unable to get up and down fast enough to
Nepal has no
The last time 10 or more people died on Everest was in 2015, during an avalanche. By some measures, the Everest machine has only gotten more out of
Despite all the problems, this year the Nepali government issued a record number of permits, 381, as part of a bigger
| A．recognizable | B．sustainable | C．avoidable | D．feasible |
| A．burden | B．blame | C．border | D．balance |
| A．hungry | B．critical | C．jealousy | D．hesitant |
| A．favor | B．extend | C．grant | D．handle |
| A．appeal | B．adjustment | C．adaption | D．agreement |
| A．catch sight of | B．make use of | C．get rid of | D．take hold of |
| A．remove | B．refill | C．recycle | D．release |
| A．for the first time | B．at long last | C．from time to time | D．in the first place |
| A．strict | B．social | C．scientific | D．creative |
| A．discomfort | B．decay | C．disadvantage | D．disaster |
| A．manage | B．qualify | C．promise | D．schedule |
| A．contact | B．touch | C．control | D．power |
| A．activated | B．exposed | C．introduced | D．dismissed |
| A．inferior | B．minor | C．superior | D．major |
| A．push | B．prospect | C．pattern | D．patent |
6 . Abraham Lincoln turns 200 this year, and he’s beginning to show his age. When his birthday arrives, on February 12, Congress will hold a special joint session in the Capitol’s National Statuary Hall, a wreath (花环) will be laid at the great memorial in Washington, and a webcast will link school classrooms for a "teach-in" honoring his memory.
Admirable as they are, though, the events will strike many of us Lincoln fans as inadequate, even halfhearted — and another sign that our appreciation for the 16th president and his towering achievements is slipping away. And you don’t have to be a Lincoln enthusiast to believe that this is something we can’t afford to lose.
Compare this year’s celebration with the Lincoln centennial, in 1909. That year, Lincoln’s likeness made its debut on the penny, thanks to approval from the U. S. Secretary of the Treasury. Communities. and civic associations in every comer of the country erupted in parades, concerts, balls, lectures, and military displays. We still feel the effects today: The momentum unloosed in 1909 led to the Lincoln Memorial, opened in 1922, and the Lincoln Highway, the first paved transcontinental thoroughfare (大道) .
The celebrants in 1909 had a few inspirations we lack today. Lincoln’s presidency was still a living memory for countless Americans. In 2009 we are farther in time from the end of the Second World War than they were from the Civil War; families still felt the loss of loved ones from that awful national trauma (创伤) .
But Americans in 1909 had something more: an unembarrassed appreciation for heroes and an acute sense of the way that even long-dead historical figures press in on the present and make us who we are.
One story will illustrate what I’m talking about.
In 2003 a group of local citizens arranged to place a statue of Lincoln in Richmond, Virginia, former capital of the Confederacy (南方联邦). The idea touched off a firestorm of controversy. The Sons of Confederate Veterans held a public conference of carefully selected scholars to “reassess” the legacy of Lincoln. The verdict — no surprise — was negative: Lincoln was labeled everything from a racist totalitarian to a teller of dirty jokes.
I covered the conference as a reporter, but what really unnerved me was a counter-conference of scholars to refute the earlier one. These scholars drew a picture of Lincoln that only our touchy-feely age could recall. The man who oversaw the most savage war in our history was described — by his admirers, remember — as “nonjudgmental,” “unmoralistic,” “comfortable with ambiguity (模棱两可) .”
I felt the way a friend of mine felt as we later watched the unveiling of the Richmond statue in a subdued (征服) ceremony: “But he’s so small!”
The statue in Richmond was indeed small; like nearly every Lincoln statue put up in the past half century, it was life-size and was placed at ground level, a conscious rejection of the heroic — approachable and human, yes, but not something to look up to.
The Richmond episode taught me that Americans have lost the language to explain Lincoln’s greatness even to ourselves. Earlier generations said they wanted their children to be like Lincoln: principled, kind, compassionate, resolute. Today we want Lincoln to be like us.
“This helps to explain the long string of recent books in which writers have presented a Lincoln made after their own image. We’ve had Lincoln as humorist and Lincoln as manic-depressive, Lincoln the business sage, the conservative Lincoln and the liberal Lincoln, the emancipator and the racist, the stoic philosopher, the Christian, the atheist (无神论者) — Lincoln over easy (两面煎的) and Lincoln scrambled (把…搅乱) .
What’s often missing, though, is the timeless Lincoln, the Lincoln whom all generations, our own no less than that of 1909, can lay claim to. Lucky for us, those memorializers from a century ago — and, through them, Lincoln himself — have left us a hint of where to find him. The Lincoln Memorial is the most visited of our presidential monuments. Here is where we find the Lincoln who endures: in the words he left us, defining the country we’ve inherited. Here is the Lincoln who can be endlessly renewed and who, 200 years after his birth, retains the power to renew us.
1. The author thinks that this year’s celebration inadequate and even halfhearted because ________.| A．no Lincoln statue will be unveiled. |
| B．no memorial coins will be issued. |
| C．no similar appreciation of Lincoln will be seen. |
| D．no activities can be compared to those in 1909. |
| A．approved of the judgment by those carefully selected scholars. |
| B．offered a brand new reassessment perspective. |
| C．came up with somewhat favourable conclusions. |
| D．resulted in similar critical remarks on Lincoln. |
| A．conforms to traditional images. |
| B．reflects the present-day tendency of worship. |
| C．shows the present-day desire to match Lincoln. |
| D．reveals the variety of current opinions on heroes. |
| A．Lincoln’s greatness remains despite the passage of time. |
| B．The memorial is symbolic of the great man’s achievements. |
| C．Each generation has its own interpretation of Lincoln. |
| D．People get to know Lincoln through memorializers. |
For many well-educated travelers, buying a copy of Lonely Planet is the first task before taking a vacation abroad. Founded in 1973, Lonely Planet is the biggest guidebook series in many countries. It’s published in 11 languages including Chinese.
But when the BBC confirmed on March 19 that it had sold the entire Lonely Planet series to a US billionaire at a significant deficit(赤字), many commented that the deal sang the swan song for the printed guidebook.
The rise of the Internet and the prevalence of smartphones have become a burden on the print media. Why would travelers bring a heavy guidebook when they can download the apps to their smartphone in an instant? Furthermore, alternative and free travel content is readily available on the Internet, from Wikivoyage to TripAdvisor which provide excellent guidance on your trips.
But the Internet is not the only reason that guidebooks are in decline. It is also widely accepted that the physical guidebook has such complete content that can kill any sense of personal exploration. With the guide books, all those backpacker feet ended up following routine trade routes, and in those routes was little room for initiative.
It’s also pointed out that the guidebook is not exactly good for tourism. Often the shops and restaurants that thrived on a recommendation in the guidebook relaxed and discovered that it didn’t matter: the legions of eager travelers keep on coming anyway. They gradually become uncompetitive.
And yet, despite the rise of new media, it’s believed there is still a place for printed guidebooks, at least for the time being as books still offer readers the kind of feeling that virtual tools can’t provide, more of a compelling, touchable interaction.
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8 . The assumption that depression is a disease has been supported by biologists, psychiatrists and companies producing medicine. Although advances in medical treatment have certainly been responsible for reducing much suffering, sticking to the disease model is preventing a more complete understanding of why we are so likely to suffer from depression, with at least 45% of people experiencing the condition in their lifetimes.
My recent review of theories and personal observations suggests that depression might serve some useful functions. We should not forget that depression has meaning, and that there is a real new life after recovery.
A recent study of depression in Holland showed that people seemed to cope better with hardships in life after depression than they were doing before it. In the group as a whole, liveliness, psychological health, social and spare-time activities, performance at work and general health all significantly improved upon recovery from depression.
Depression can lead to great insights(洞察力) and achievements. More than 2,000 years ago, Aristotle believed depression to be a state of great moral and spiritual value because of the insights it could bring. The philosopher John Stuart Mill wrote his famous work, Utilitarianism, at the age of 19 and became depressed at the age of 21. Upon recovery, he admitted that the experience had taught him an important lesson---that he should not sacrifice(牺牲) his social and emotional development to intellectual ambition.
Theories have suggested that depression could be a defense against the long-time stress. It is possible that depression defends us against the tendency to ignore our true needs by chasing unobtainable goals and helps to bring these needs into sharper focus.
Depression may bring about a “rebirth” because it removes a false idea about oneself. There is some evidence from scientific studies to show that depressed people are rather more realistic in their thinking than “healthy” individuals. With recovery, a new kind of truth could be found, which would do away with blind optimism: a more modest evaluation of the depressed person’s own ability, containing a more balanced picture of his or her life.
Depression may have forced our ancestors to look again at their strengths and weaknesses, and their coping strategies. Regardless of the reason for falling into depression, the journey has potential to make us better equipped, in a general sense, for life.
1. Which of the following is the disadvantage of treating depression as a disease?| A．People dislike being taken as patients. |
| B．The medical treatment costs a lot of money. |
| C．It prevents us from better understanding depression. |
| D．It stops people from getting a balanced picture of life. |
| A．take part in too many social activities |
| B．aim too high in intellectual achievement |
| C．write Utilitarianism at such an early age |
| D．consider too much about emotional needs |
a. It enables people to perform better at work
b. It makes it easier to achieve people’s dream.
c. It helps people to get a realistic view of self
d. It improves people’s ability to deal with difficulties
| A．abc | B．bcd |
| C．abd | D．acd |
| A．Ways to Address Depression |
| B．Brave Attitude to Depression |
| C．Depression: Disease or Rebirth? |
| D．Depression: Assumption or Reality? |
9 . The psychology of innovation
Why are so few companies truly innovation?
Innovation is key to business survival, and companies put substantial resources into inspiring employees to develop new ideas. There are, nevertheless, people working in luxurious, state-of-the-art centres designed to stimulate innovation who find that their environment doesn’t make them feel at all creative. And there are those who don’t have a budget, or much space, but who innovate successfully.
For Robert B. Cialdini, Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University, one reason that companies don’t succeed as often as they should is that innovation starts with recruitment. Research shows that the fit between an employee’s values and a company’s values makes a difference to what contribution they make and whether, two years after they join, they’re still at the company.
One of the most famous photographs in the story of rock’ n’ roll emphasizes Ciaidini’s views. The 1956 picture of singers Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis jamming at a piano in Sun Studios in Memphis tells a hidden story. Sun’s ‘million-dollar quartet’ could have been a quintet. Missing from the picture is Roy Orbison, a greater natural singer than Lewis, Perkins or Cash. Sam Phillips, who owned Sun, wanted to revolutionize popular music with songs that fused black and white music, and country and blues. Presley, Cash, Perkins and Lewis instinctively understood Phillips’s ambition and believed in it. Orbison wasn’t inspired by the goal, and only ever achieved one hit with the Sun label.
Managing innovation is a delicate art. It’s easy for a company to be pulled in conflicting directions as the marketing, product development, and finance departments each get different feedback from different sets of people. And without a system which ensures collaborative exchanges within the company, it’s also easy for small ‘pockets of innovation’ to disappear. Innovation is a contact sport. You can’t brief people just by saying, ‘We’re going in this direction and I’m going to take you with me.’
Cialdini believes that this ‘follow-the-leader syndrome is dangerous, not least because it encourages bosses to go it alone. ‘It’s been scientifically proven that three people will be better than one at solving problems, even if that one person is the smartest person in the field.’ To prove his point, Cialdini cites an interview with molecular biologist James Watson. Watson, together with Francis Crick, discovered the structure of DNA, the genetic information carrier of all living organisms. ‘When asked how they had cracked the code ahead of an array of highly accomplished rival investigators, he said something that stunned me. He said he and Crick had succeeded because they were aware that they weren’t the most intelligent of the scientists pursuing the answer. The smartest scientist was called Rosalind Franklin who, Watson said, “was so intelligent she rarely sought advice”.’
Writing, visualizing and prototyping can stimulate the flow of new ideas. Cialdini cites scores of research papers and historical events that prove that even something as simple as writing deepens every individual’s engagement in the project. It is, he says, the reason why all those competitions on breakfast cereal packets encouraged us to write in saying, in no more than 10 words: ‘I like Kellogg’s Com Flakes because… .’ The very act of writing makes us more likely to believe it.
Authority doesn’t have to inhibit innovation but it often does. Many theorists believe the ideal boss should lead from behind, taking pride in collective accomplishment and giving credit where it is due. Cialdini says: ‘Leaders should encourage everyone to contribute and simultaneously assure all concerned that every recommendation is important to making the right decision and will be given full attention.’ The frustrating thing about innovation is that there are many approaches, but no magic formula. However, a manager who wants to create a truly innovative culture can make their job a lot easier by recognizing these psychological realities.
1. The example of the ‘million-dollar quartet’ underlines the writer’s point about____.| A．recognizing talent. |
| B．working as a team. |
| C．having a shared objective. |
| D．being an effective leader. |
| A．were conscious of their own limitations. |
| B．brought complementary skills to their partnership. |
| C．were determined to outperform their brighter rivals. |
| D．encouraged each other to realize their joint ambition. |
| A．inspire creative thinking. |
| B．generate concise writing. |
| C．promote loyalty to a group. |
| D．strengthen commitment to an idea. |
| A．be aware of their company’s goals. |
| B．feel that their contributions are valued. |
| C．have respect for their co-workers’ achievements. |
| D．understand why certain management decisions are made. |
10 . Rewards and punishments are used in different ways by different communities to maintain social order and to preserve cultural values. In all cultures, parents must teach their children to
The techniques societies use to maintain social control
In the United States,
| A．learn | B．challenge | C．observe | D．revise |
| A．routine | B．traditional | C．critical | D．mild |
| A．moral | B．cultural | C．historical | D．religious |
| A．service | B．order | C．welfare | D．respect |
| A．dramatically | B．purposefully | C．consequently | D．specifically |
| A．vary | B．match | C．cope | D．meet |
| A．threats | B．conflicts | C．rewards | D．praise |
| A．dominating | B．neglecting | C．preventing | D．withdrawing |
| A．For example | B．On the contrary | C．In contrast | D．In fact |
| A．competition | B．bravery | C．creativity | D．cooperation |
| A．adaptive | B．simple | C．orderly | D．casual |
| A．threaten | B．strengthen | C．loosen | D．lengthen |
| A．extent | B．problem | C．fear | D．experience |
| A．check | B．clue | C．impact | D．judgement |
| A．occasional | B．weak | C．constant | D．intense |
